What Fatherhood Means Through The Eyes Of Five Year Olds

Today’s dads work hard, play hard, and spend the rest of their time kissing booboos, telling stories, looking for lost toys and snuggling. It’s tough, but rewarding work that requires dedication, patience, and an abundance of love. But what does fatherhood look like to our children? We asked some kids around the age of five to tell us what it means to be a daddy, how their daddies got the job in the first place, and what the job entails. Here’s how they see things:

Photo Courtesy of Lucy Boyd

Maggie’s Daddy: Fueled by lettuce and lemonade, his superpower is playing. Oh, and she really likes him.

Maggie, age four, granted her mother this extensive interview on the subject of fatherhood:

Why is your dad great? “Cuz I like him. I really like playing with him.”
What does the word “dad” mean? “It means that you really like your dad.”
How did Daddy get the job of being dad? “Cuz he’s Dad. Cuz he was little, and then growed, and then his name was Dad.”
Is it hard to be a dad? “Nah.”
What’s Daddy’s favorite tv show? “Grown up games.”
Where does Daddy go? “Go to work!”
How tall is Daddy? “He’s like, this tall (2′ high). How many tall are you, Dad?”
What is Daddy’s favorite food? “Lettuce.”
What’s Daddy’s favorite drink? “Lemonade.”
For fun, Daddy likes to… “watch TV.”
I love it when my daddy…”cooperates!”
Is it fun to be a dad? “Yeah! Now can we talk about an obstacle course that has a heart merry-go-round? Do fairs have merry-go-rounds, Mom? What’s a merry-go-round?”

Photo Credit Thinkstock.com

Tara’s Daddy: Wrapped around her precious little finger, maybe?

Tara once informed her mom that “Mommies make all the rules.”
Dad overheard her, and called out from the other room, “Daddies make some rules, too.”
Tara’s answer to that: “Daddy’s silly.”
How did Tara’s father get the job? “Daddy got his Daddy job because he grew so big.”

Photo Courtesy of Suparba Panda

Arjav’s Daddy: Works hard, but makes time for his son“My dad is great because he gives me whatever I like and shows me movies.”
What does it mean to be a dad? “[Being] the dad means listening to your son and teaching your son lessons and the right thing to do. He makes me be brave and strong when he is away so that I become man of the house. That’s all dad is about.”
How did Arjav’s father get the job? “Dad worked really hard and ate his food and slept by his own to become a dad. Mom can’t be a dad because she doesn’t have hair like Daddy and don’t talk like Daddy.”
Is being a dad hard? Is it fun? “It’s hard to be a dad because you have responsibilities. It’s fun to be a dad except for going to work to your boss. Working is really hard. Dad has to say NO to his boss so that he can spend time with me.”

Photo Courtesy of Holly Parker

Erin’s Daddy: She’d rather not talk about this very much right now

Why is your dad great? “I have fun with him.”
What does the word “dad” mean? “It’s a boy grown up.”
How did dad get the job of being a dad? “I don’t know.”
Is it hard to be a dad? “Yes.”
Why? What’s hard about it? “I don’t know.”
Is it fun to be a dad? “Yes. He plays with me with my toys.”
Anything else you want to tell me about your dad? “No.”

Photo Courtesy of Heather Helfrich

Rudy’s Daddy: Rudy REALLY wasn’t in the mood to discuss fatherhood at this time.

Rudy would only answer one question: Is it hard to be a dad? “Easy, because all you have to do is babysit.”

Photo Courtesy of Beki Walkup

Ember’s Daddy: Grew up and now he plays the kid banjo!

Why is your dad great? “Because he helps me.”
What does the word “dad” mean? “I don’t know… father?”
How did dad get the job of being a dad? “He grew up!”
Is it hard to be a dad? “Yeah, because he works.”
Is it fun to be a dad? “I think, yes, because you can have fun together!”

“Dads work and on weekends play with the kids. It’s funny when my dad plays the ‘kid banjo’ and tickles me.”

Lauren Haas is a writer who specializes in finding the fun! Lauren was the publisher of the St. Louis Area Family Gazette for eight years, and now writes freelance articles on St. Louis events and attractions, budget travel, arts and entertainment and fitness topics. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.